You have not got the first SEAT on the midding¹ today

Insights

General Discontent

The proverb is a metaphor for being in a bad mood or ill-tempered because things have not gone one's way. Not getting the 'first seat' symbolizes a general sense of frustration, disappointment, or the feeling that one's day has started poorly.

Loss of Petty Dominance

The dunghill represents a small, perhaps insignificant, sphere of influence (e.g., a household or workplace). Failing to get the 'first seat' signifies a loss of control or a failure to assert one's usual dominance, leading to a bruised ego and irritability.

Trivial Annoyance

The setting on a dunghill implies that the source of the person's frustration is trivial or absurd. The proverb humorously suggests that the individual is upset over a matter of no real importance, highlighting the pettiness of their grievance.

Historical Symbolism

The proverb draws on the imagery of a dunghill or 'midden', a common feature in historical farmsteads, which often served as a stage for cockerels fighting for dominance. The phrase 'king of the dunghill' refers to a petty tyrant, and this proverb similarly frames the source of a person's bad mood as a failure to secure top status in a lowly or insignificant domain.

Psychological Insight

The proverb offers a sharp psychological insight into the nature of bad moods, suggesting they often stem from a perceived loss of status or control, however trivial. By framing the conflict in the absurd setting of a dunghill, it humorously exposes the pettiness of the grievance, highlighting the human tendency to let minor frustrations dictate one's entire disposition.

Cultural Application

As noted in the 1721 quotation by Kelly, the expression is used to describe someone who is 'crabbed' or irritable for no apparent reason. It functions as a colloquial diagnosis for a foul temper, humorously attributing it to a specific, albeit ridiculous, setback.

Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

The entire phrase is a metaphor, where failing to secure a 'seat on the midding' represents the underlying cause of a person's foul temper or crabbiness.

Irony

A strong sense of irony is created by the juxtaposition of a desirable goal ('the first seat') with a worthless location ('the midding'). This trivializes the cause of the person's bad mood, making it seem ridiculous.

Imagery

The proverb evokes a vivid, earthy, and slightly comical image of a squabble over a prime spot on a refuse heap, making the expression highly memorable and its point sharp.